1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a system for preventing accidents caused by people diving into shallow water. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system of swimming pool depth markers. The depth markers stand upright and indicate the depth of the adjacent pool with a standard insignia and by the height of the markers themselves.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the most common swimming accidents in pools occurs when people dive into shallow water and hit their head on the bottom of the pool. Almost all diving accidents occur when a person dives from the deck of the pool into the shallow end. These accidents often result in severe injury to the head and/or neck. It is common to mark the depth of the water at a particular point on the deck surrounding the pool. This is done adjacent to the depth indicated. The problem with this practice is that the numbers or words are not easily visible to a person running up to dive in the pool. The depth and warning signs are typically written flat on the surface of the deck. Warnings thus written, because of the angle, are not clearly visible to an observer depending upon the approach.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,167 to Whitten shows an example of a depth marking system for a swimming pool. In the Written Patent the depth marking, which is in the gutter of the pool, would be invisible to a person running up to dive in the pool until too late.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,779 to Jewett shows a system of baffles designed in part to safeguard divers by cushioning the bottom of the pool. This patent addresses the same problem as applicant but uses a very different method. Jewett stresses reducing the impact of the diving accident rather than preventing the accident altogether. The system of Jewett would be difficult to install and is not in widespread use if it is used at all.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,584 to Peebles discloses another method of preventing pool accidents. In this patent a perimeter barrier totally prevents access to the pool. This is intended to prevent drowning accidents where a small child might fall into an unattended pool.
None of these prior art patents discloses a device that will prevent diving accidents by providing a prominent warning about depth.